Got Friends or Family on the Fence About Same-Sex Marriage? Send Them This Awesome Voter's Guide

To most progressives, same-sex marriage is an inalienable right, something that should be legalized in each state to allow gays the same rights straights enjoy. And while support for that right is becoming increasingly mainstream—including support from President Obama—there are still a lot of people who don't know where they stand. This November, same-sex marriage is on the ballot in four states, Minnesota, Maryland, Washington, and Maine. For those still on the fence, AlterNet contributor David Morris has written a tremendous pamphelet illuminating the history and issues surrounding the issue, entitled "The Thoughtful Voter's Guide to Same-Sex Marriage: A Tool for the Decided, the Undecided, and the Genuinely Perplexed." As Morris says in the title, it's a good tool for those of us who are already decided either way—he illuminates both sides of the debate, including bulletpoint arguments for those who are for and those who are against same-sex marriage, as well as giving a brief history of marriage within human civilization, from the Old Testament days to the first-ever recorded same-sex marriages in the Roman Empire. He also delves into marriage's evil bedmate, divorce, and how it factors into the law—and how it wasn't legal in most states, either, until relatively recently. What goes up, must come down, as they say!

At any rate, it's a really interesting read and very well-cited with footnotes, and it's printable in pamphlet form. To read or download the PDF, check it out right over here.